There are few gaming franchises more successful than Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto. The franchise has become a cultural phenomenon, and while few games can truly replicate the experience of pure GTA, there are plenty of games like GTA that can satisfy the desire to play something similar. Whether you enjoy the driving aspect of GTA, the heists, or the freedom, there are other games that offer a comparable experience.
Few games offer everything that GTA does, but every game on this list features a gameplay experience that matches something you might enjoy about one of the titles in the GTA series. However, most games on the list are similar to GTA in that they offer freedom to have fun and cause chaos in an open world.
Below, you can see the list we've put together that encompasses the best games you can play if you're looking for something similar to GTA. As a note, this list is in no particular order and primarily includes games that are easily playable today. For more, check out our look at games like Skyrim.
Red Dead Redemption 1+2
- Developer: Rockstar Games
- Release Date: May 18, 2010 / October 26, 2018
- Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch
- Genre: Action Adventure
How else could we kick off this list? The Red Dead Redemption series is also developed by Rockstar Games, and it's much more than simply "GTA in the Old West." While you'll find plenty of the same elements from GTA in RDR, including a large open world, criminal activity, and tons of heists, the stakes are raised when it comes to characters and storytelling. There are few better-told stories in gaming than the ones in Red Dead Redemption, especially in the sequel. Each game has a large cast of characters that evolve as the story goes on. This develops over the course of dozens of fantastic missions and several incredible locations, including Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Old West.
